Unisex name · since 1880
Clair
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 12,041 babies named Clair, peaking in 1923. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,082 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 12,041
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
12,041 boys have been named Clair since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Clair has 12,041 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2020.
- #1,082 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 12,041 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clair ranks #1,082 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 12,041 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,082 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 12,041
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clair's 12,041 recorded births place it above 97.62% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
Clair's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Clair's full recorded timeline at 1939, 31% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 69% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1993, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 356 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Clair popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2020
- Peak year (1923)
- 356
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Clair popularity over time - girls
4,310 total births recorded since 1880 (Clair as girls' name)
Clair by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (3,169 births, 26% of the file).
1920s was Clair's strongest decade.
3,169 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Clair births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 156
1880s
156 births
- 1890s 295
1890s
295 births
- 1900s 397
1900s
397 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,212 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,169 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,319 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,541 births
- 1950s 1,061
1950s
1,061 births
- 1960s 513
1960s
513 births
- 1970s 199
1970s
199 births
- 1980s 110
1980s
110 births
- 1990s 42
1990s
42 births
- 2000s 12
2000s
12 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,169 births (26% of all-time use).
How Clair compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Clair's total volume
Clair by state
Where Clair concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 4,451 | 37.0% |
| #2 | Iowa | | 623 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 583 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 575 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Utah | | 467 | 3.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 463 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 373 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Kansas | | 211 | 1.8% |
4,451 of 12,041 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Clair appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clair? ▼
Where does Clair sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Clair most popular? ▼
Where is Clair most popular? ▼
Is Clair a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Clair been used? ▼
What names are similar to Clair? ▼
What to do with Clair's data
- Clair's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,169 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Clairs (4,451 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clair
Nearby Names Like Clair
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clair
Compare Clair side by side: Clair vs Clarence Clair vs Clayton Clair vs Claude
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Clair: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~140 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Clair draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.